If your PC has been experiencing strange system crashes, or even the dreaded Blue Screen of Death, it's worth running some tests to check your system hardware. Luckily the Ubuntu Live CD has some tools built right in.

We've already shown you how to use the Ubuntu Live CD to do things like recover data or scan your Windows PC for viruses, but over at the How-To Geek site (my home away from Lifehacker), writer Trevor points out that the Ubuntu Live CD includes a RAM testing tool by default, and you can even use some CPU burn-in tools to give your PC a thorough test cycle—handy in a pinch if all you have access to is an Ubuntu install disc.

To access the memory testing tool, just drop the CD in the drive and use the Test memory feature from the boot menu. To access the CPU burn-in tools, you'll need to pop open the Synaptic package manager and install the cpuburn package. Check out the full tutorial for a step-by-step guide to testing your PC.